


A Little Hope Can Go a Long Way

by Starlit_Angel



Category: Sparklecare (Webcomic)
Genre: BarrUni, FactFiction, M/M, but like low-key, first fic hoo boy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-05-26
Updated: 2019-05-26
Packaged: 2020-03-17 18:04:07
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18970270
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starlit_Angel/pseuds/Starlit_Angel
Summary: Barry finds a light shining in a very dark place.





	A Little Hope Can Go a Long Way

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first attempt at anything sparklecare. I've been a huge fan for so long and these character mean a lot to me! So have fun with my attempt at something decent.

It’s been some time since Barry was first admitted to this horrible prison they call a hospital. Weeks have passed, and the moment of escape doesn't feel any closer. Any attempt is met with a stinging defeat and punishments that leave you feeling hopeless. Things don’t look like they're ever getting better.

It’s somewhat funny too. There are signs all over this place, saying just that. “It never gets better”, accompanied by a rainbow or maybe a yellow smiley face. Seeing that makes Barry sick, partly because of how conflicting the imagery is. What really makes him sick is how it might really be true. It won't ever get better. They’re all stuck here, trapped. No one cares and no one will ever care. The doctors and nurses will keep them here until they die, and there's nothing that can change that.

Believing that would be giving up. Barry refuses to give the staff the satisfaction. He just can’t give up. No one deserves to live like this, if you can call this “living”. So he's determined to help get all his friends out. Even if it's scary, Barry wants to help everyone here.

As another day starts, full to the brim with opportunities for panic and distress, Barry finds himself waking up with an unusual quiet. Usually, his unruly roommate is causing some sort of reality-defying ruckus. It gets on Barry’s nerves more than anything. Uni’s ignorance and disregard for the laws of physics just rile him up!

But Barry would be lying to say he didn't care for him. It still doesn't make sense why, his magic is confusing and his vulgarity is beyond immature. No matter what he says, it doesn't make any sense! Barry still thinks some of his words are completely made-up. But even with everything going against him, Barry can't help feeling close to him. Maybe that first encounter, when even in the bleakness of that first day in this prison, he managed to make Barry feel okay. Even if it was done through sheer confusion, it was a much needed distraction from the horrors of that day.

He sits up in his hospital bed and looks around the rooms, eyes darting back and forth, searching for signs of his roommate. The room is a mess, which would be a concerning sign if he wasn't roomed with Uni. Papers are scattered around everywhere; various doodles and drawings printed on the surface. Despite his complaints and efforts to clean the room, it always reverts back to a chaotic assault of artistic talent. Barry grew to mind it, not like there was any other choice, however. 

He gets up and stretches, getting ready for a new day here at the hospital. Some days really aren’t all bad. Some days are calmer. No nurses or doctors poking at your, no loud or bombastic escape attempt. Being held here, with no escape, it’s draining. But those days, those quiet days, are something to hold on to. Just a little bit of hope for the days to come.

Barry really hopes today could be one of those days. 

Getting up and out of the bed, Barry can now see what Uni was up to. Sitting there, in his corner of the room the two of them shared. He was painting. That explained the calm of today’s start. Barry had always known Uni to be the creative type. His shirt was littered with pretty, colorful polka dots, and the walls and floor were covered in half-finished works. Despite all this, Barry had never seen him work. It’s as if it was some kind of secret, one that everyone knew was being told, but with only a select few knowing the true details. 

So, naturally, Barry moves to observe the act himself. Being a man of science, Barry has a drive to discover. Any new phenomenon is an opportunity to theorize and learn. 

What Barry saw was vastly different than what he would ever have hypothesized. A muted picture, a dark grey landscape with no trees or life to be found. Stormy clouds grew in the sky, brewing in a menacing silence above the land. The land itself was black, drained of life; an arid climate. The winds blew across this land, spreading lies and deceit.

Barry had to take a step back. The grey-scale picture was a different sight in a hospital with eyes bleeding neon highlights. Seeing this picture it was...sad. But it was beautiful. The work evoked many emotions, with precise brushstrokes which painted a complex picture. 

Suddenly, Barry was jarred away from his thoughts. “H-how long have you been there bro?” Uni said, finally aware of Barry’s overlooking presence. 

Barry was stunned for a moment. After breaking from his daze, he replies, “Not long, I just got here.”

Uni shifted uncomfortably, looking sheepishly at the ground. A silence grows for a few seconds, Uni growing ever more uncomfortable as time passes. 

“It’s very nice.” Barry finally says, breaking the silence. He says it with such genuine appreciation, it startles Uni somewhat.

“M-my painting? You like it, bro? But, i-it’s not done yet. A-and it’s really not very nice. It’s not swaggy at all.” Uni was still panicked, but there was a hint of a spark in his speech. Like he was longing for something that he’s been on the precipice of getting for so long. 

Barry saw this spark and he wanted it to go father, burn brighter. “Absolutely! It’s very well-done; the theme is abstract, while very familiar. It paints a story of both loss and gain. The colors really add to the work as a whole. Grey is usually a bland color, but you made it speak volumes. It takes skill to make a piece of art like that!”

Uni lights up, delighted to hear praise towards his art. He always struggled with his creative works. Self-worth wasn’t Uni’s strong suit, and his art couldn’t escape the trap of his low self-esteem. No matter how hard he tried, the hatred for himself always leaked into his art. So discarded remnants of creative potential lie scattered across his now shared room. 

However, hearing words like this, from Barry. Barry, the always complaining. The always upset, and self-absorbed Barry, liked his work. It delighted Uni, more than he ever thought. It was new to really be able to look at his paintings and not just see what he despised about himself. Now maybe, he could look at what others saw. He could see the worth in his paintings, not clouded by his own judgment.

“W-wow. Thanks, bro. That means a lot, coming from you.” Uni blushed as he said the words, still not sure how to take the compliment. 

Barry was blushing as well. Something about his words made his face flush. The passion in those last few words were a lightning bolt through Barry’s heart, making it beat frantically. 

“I-I’m just speaking the truth that’s all!” Barry replied quickly, “I’ve always been one to appreciate hard work and effort.”

Barry stood there, lacking composure for what felt like several minutes. In reality, it was just a few seconds. Finally, he found his words.

“Y-you said it wasn't done, right? Could I...watch?” Barry was a lush red now, staring down at the floor with a relieved smile on his face. The pressure to get these words out was outstanding, like a thick molasses was between Barry and Uni, making even the smallest action feel slow and lethargic.

It was Uni’s turn to lose what little composure he had now. He wanted to see him work? He’d rarely ever let people see his finished projects, much less have others next to him watching. But with Barry, with Barry it seemed okay. “Yeah bro, of course you can!” Uni exclaimed.

Barry, still a bright shade of red, moved to the corner with Uni. He sat down, feeling his heart fluttering out of his chest. A smile grew on Uni and Barry’s face, and Uni moved to pick up his paints. The colors were mellow oranges and yellows. A deep pink was there too, Barry thought. 

Along the dark horizon, Uni started painting. A dark orange, followed by a warming yellow. The soothing colors pierce through the dark of the painting, and Barry can’t help but smile. Next to Uni, he felt the soulful colors deep inside him, growing to a brilliant showing of emotions. 

No matter the struggles, no matter how dark and suffocating the days ahead get. There will always be a sun on the horizon. This sun is closer than you think, and sometimes you can't see it.

Sometimes, dark clouds block your sun. They will work against you, pushing you down. They will work to do anything to keep you from seeing your light. But you can't give up. That sun is waiting for you and you can't just give up on that.

So those dark clouds will be there. But that sun isn't the only light in the desolate world. You have your light, and that light will break through the clouds, letting you through to your great big powerful sun. You just need a little hope. A little hope can go a long way.

So for Barry, though the sun is still a very long distance from him, he knows that everything...everything will be okay. He has his hope right next to him, and that light will shine through any clouds in their path.

**Author's Note:**

> i wrote most of this at like 2 am so like You Know how that be


End file.
